Last Thursday the grand jury before which Chelsea Manning refused to give secret testimony ended its term, meaning that the authorities had to free her.
However, a new grand jury in Northern Virginia is scheduled to begin today, Thursday, May 16th, and the Trump Justice Department has given every indication that it will strongly advocate for a judge to have her re-imprisoned for refusing to testify before this new grand jury.
Few Americans understand just how profoundly grand juries violate commonly understood principles of justice:
** Testimony is in secret, and discussion of its proceedings is illegal;
** While lawyers for the government can flood the courtroom, persons testifying before a grand jury are not allowed to have any attorneys present; and,
** Witnesses can be imprisoned for refusing to testify before these kangaroo courts, and as Chelsea Manning might experience, have those imprisonments renewed over and over again as one grand jury term ends and another begins.
Chelsea Manning has repeatedly told her story, including at her 2013 trial, but like so many courageous activists before her, refuses to testify in secret. She is the quintessential transparency activist, adamantly opposed to allowing governments to hide their immoral and/or illegal actions behind veils of secrecy.
Please support Chelsea Manning by giving generously to
her legal defense fund: